[Forum] Sighting of a critically endangered and rare ‘Greater Slow Loris’ in Singapore

by John Lee, founder of Wildlife Asia (Singapore)

Following my previous sightings of the critically endangered ‘Sunda Pangolin’, it never dawn on me that today was another very lucky day to get another big surprise during my wildlife search for snake.

The big surprise was none other than the encounter of the critically endangered and rare ‘Greater Slow Loris’ (Nycticebus coucang), also known as ‘Sunda Slow Loris’.

While going in search of snake, I suddenly felt the presence of something above the tree that I was standing next to it.

To my shock and disbelieve in my wildest dream, an animal that I have been looking forward to find and searching for over past 20 years of wildlife exploration in Singapore has finally appear in front of me and it is now in my list of record for rare animal sightings.

According to the Singapore Red Data Book 2008, the Greater Slow Loris is listed as a critically endangered animal in Singapore.

It is also listed in the United Nation’s body of the International Union of Conservation for Nature (IUCN) as an endangered animal under the Cites Appendix 1 under UN, due to the animal’s rarity dwindling population and vulnerability to illegal poachers.